"My fellow generals and tribal leaders," Xuan Haoqiongchuan began, "I have finished telling my story. If anyone has any thoughts, please speak up."
He had summoned the Xiongnu's senior generals and tribal leaders to his tent to declare his allegiance to the Dragon Han Celestial Dynasty.
Now it was their turn to choose sides.
The tent buzzed with discussion. After a long silence, a scarred Xiongnu warrior stepped forward.
"Crown Prince," he said, his voice rough, "are you planning to betray the Xiongnu King? Are you going to just write off the humiliation the Dragon Han Celestial Dynasty has inflicted upon us?"
Xuan Haoqiongchuan replied, "Leader Sultai, I've said this before: if the Xiongnu are to have a future, we must follow the Dragon Han. Only with their support can our people truly thrive."
"I, Sultai, will never accept a life bought at the price of our dignity," Sultai declared, vehemently opposing the Crown Prince's proposal.
"The Xiongnu and the Dragon Han can never coexist peacefully. This hatred can only be repaid with blood. Crown Prince, as the most promising heir to the Xiongnu throne, you should uphold the King's will and draw a clear line against the Dragon Han, not utter words that wound the pride of the Great Xiongnu."
Xuan Haoqiongchuan slowly rose to his feet. "Sultai, do you remember that year the grasslands suffered a once-in-a-century blizzard? Countless of your people froze to death or suffered severe frostbite.
If the Empress hadn't ordered the gates opened to shelter your people, the Sulu Tai Tribe would likely have been absorbed by other tribes long ago. In other words,
Dragon Han is your savior. Are you planning to repay your benefactor with such ingratitude?"
Sultai retorted urgently, "Your Highness, your words are mistaken. I have never denied that Dragon Han saved my people.
But compared to the Empress's slaughter of my Xiongnu, what is such a small kindness? Should these meager acts of charity make me forget the suffering our Great Xiongnu has endured for centuries?"
"I understand your feelings. It's true, the Empress's war resulted in the slaughter of over four million Xiongnu.
Such brutality is indeed unforgettable.
But 2,700 years have passed since that blood debt. How long must we continue to harbor this hatred?"
Sultai was about to argue further, but Xuan Haoqiongchuan cut him off.
"For us cultivators, hatred might last a few generations. But for the Xiongnu people, this catastrophe remains too distant.
They had long grown accustomed to the stable life they enjoyed under Dragon Han's protection, free from war and plunder. Now, the Xiongnu people could learn Dragon Han's culture and wear its clothing, just like the nations of the Central Plains. Though their relationship couldn't be called intimate, they interacted extensively.
"Do you have the heart to force them to take up arms again, to end this hard-won prosperity and resume the days of our ancestors, living knife-edge to knife-edge?"
Sultai declared loudly, "The warriors of the Xiongnu have never feared harsh environments."
"So, you want the people of the Great Xiongnu to abandon their current comfortable lives and follow us back to a precarious, nomadic existence?"
"No, if we seize the lands of Dragon Han, our people will live even more prosperously than they do now."
"When Emperor Ji of Han first founded Dragon Han, the nation was so weak that even our Great Xiongnu couldn't conquer the Central Plains. How can you be so certain that the Xiongnu of today can defeat the flourishing Dragon Han Celestial Dynasty? Wake up! Don't let hatred blind you. If the grievances between the Xiongnu and Dragon Han had only lasted for decades or even centuries, I wouldn't stop you from seeking vengeance. But now, two thousand seven hundred years have passed."
"Even the deepest grudges must be set aside. The Great Xiongnu cannot continue to wallow in hatred."
Sultai was left speechless, and the Xiongnu generals around him began to murmur among themselves, showing a degree of agreement with Xuan Haoqiongchuan's words.
Shen Zhao remained an outsider throughout, idly warming himself by the campfire without interjecting.
Xuan Haoqiongchuan's words did hold some truth. If one traced the deepest hatred back thousands of years, it would inevitably lose its original meaning.
"No! The Great Xiongnu will never become dogs of the Dragon Han Empress! Not in a million years!" Sultai roared, drawing his curved saber in a fit of rage.
"Warriors of the Great Xiongnu! We are the most loyal servants of our King! Before he departed, the Xiongnu King told us that our Great Xiongnu was on the verge of avenging our ancestors, seizing that prosperous land, and becoming its new masters. But now, this son—the King's most trusted son, the heir to the throne of the Great Xiongnu—is leading us to ruin! How can you stand by and let this madness continue?"
However, Sultai's words failed to stir any response from the Xiongnu leaders and officers.
His face twisted in disbelief.
Watching the scene unfold, Shen Zhao chuckled inwardly.
*Isn't this obvious? How do you describe certain online groups using modern slang?*
Oh, right.
*Anti-Americanism is just a job; living in America is the real life.*
The Xiongnu situation was far worse than Shen Zhao had imagined for a law-abiding society.
No one was foolish enough to think they could challenge the Dragon Han Celestial Dynasty with their meager resources. Even a 0.1% chance of victory would be a divine blessing.
The more likely outcome was being chased by the Dragon Han Celestial Dynasty like stray dogs, forced to flee to Siberia to freeze in the wind and live as neighbors to polar bears.
So, despite their loud anti-Han slogans, the Xiongnu secretly feared breaking ties with the Dragon Han Celestial Dynasty and going to war. Such a conflict would severely impact their quality of life.
"Leader Sultai, I think we need to plan this carefully. We can't rush into it."
"You're right. My two daughters married into the Dragon Han territory and are now living comfortably. If war breaks out, they'll be in trouble."
"I just bought two mansions in the Dragon Han Western Capital Heavenly Palace City last year, draining most of my savings. If war erupts, I'm afraid..."
"Ah, it's not that I'm after those two houses. I just have to consider my family, don't I? Honestly, now isn't the right time for war. We should study this more carefully."
"That's right. All my spirit stones are in the Dragon Han Bank. If war breaks out now, what will happen to them... Forget it, I won't say more. In short, we absolutely cannot go to war. We must be more cautious."
Shen Zhao exclaimed inwardly, *Good heavens! Are these Xiongnu all so blunt?*
*How can they be so brazen and yet speak so openly without a hint of shame or hesitation?*
In that moment, all the tribal leaders, from the highest to the lowest, united in urging Sultai to abandon his plans for war with the Dragon Han.
Their arguments ranged from economics and military strategy to familial concerns, historical grievances, and visions of the future.
In essence, all their words converged into a single plea:
"Love our Central Plains."
This enraged Sultai, his face turning ashen, then crimson.
"You... you all..." He swept his arm across the tent, his expression a mixture of disappointment and fury. "Are you still descendants of the Eternal Heaven? Are you still warriors of the Great Xiongnu?"
Xuan Haoqiongchuan spoke slowly, "Enough, Chief Sultai. Since everyone has stated their position, I hereby declare that from this day forward, the Xiongnu army will obey the Empress's command. Who supports this decision? Who opposes it?"
"I oppose it!" Sultai roared, his voice hoarse.
The next moment—
*Bang!*
Sultai was sent flying out of the tent, his chest caved in upon landing. He died instantly.
Xuan Haoqiongchuan's palm strike that killed the dissenter instantly cowed the crowd.
"We support all the Crown Prince's decisions," the assembly knelt in unison, their opposition silenced.
Having achieved his goal, Shen Zhao dropped the last log, stood, and cupped his hands toward Xuan Haoqiongchuan. "Crown Prince, you have made the wisest decision for the Xiongnu nation."
"Please inform the Empress that the Xiongnu will always heed her command, but..."
"You need not worry, Crown Prince. I guarantee that Xuan Hao Hongye will never leave Yanhuang City alive."
"Alas... please ensure he meets a dignified end, if possible."
-----------------------
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(End of Chapter)